There are so many choices when it comes to protein powders! How to know what to choose? I've tried a lot of protein powders and have a few ground rules when searching for the right one. Within these ground rules, I will share with you my top 5 protein powders. I am in no way sponsored by any of these companies. I'm simply sharing my experience to save you some trial and error! Ground Rules: No cane sugar listed the ingredients. Cane sugar adds calories for no nutritive value

Get rid of post-meal bloating once and for all! Today's blog post is all about digestive tonics -- substances that stimulate and soothe the GI tract. One of the most common tonics I turn to in my practice is bitters...yes, the exact kind you put in your cocktails! The original use of bitters is traced back to ancient Egypt and further developed in the Middle Ages. Medicinal herbs were infused in jars of wine or distilled alcohol and were placed on shelves in later-day pharmac

You may have heard of an anti-inflammatory diet before, but there are lots of foods that are anti-inflammatory. What is included in a true anti-inflammatory diet? Today's post will address what is eliminated on an anti-inflammatory diet, and then the good stuff: what to eat. The benefits of an anti-inflammatory diet are vast and individual. People often notice increased energy, weight loss, clearer skin, improved sleep, and easy digestion to name a few. Key concepts of an ant

It took me an embarrassingly long time to get soluble versus insoluble fiber straight. I finally got it. Today's blog post will lay out the differences between the two and hopefully help you keep them straight too. Soluble fiber is the kind that attracts water and turns into a gel in the digestive tract. This gel pulls water from the GI tract to slow movement and bulk up the stool. Soluble fiber helps prevent constipation and diarrhea. While soluble fiber is bulking up the st

In honor or Celiac Awareness Month, this week’s post offers some information about non-intuitive signs and symptoms of celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that is triggered by eating gluten, a protein found in wheat. When people with celiac disease eat gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like projections, called villi, of the small intestine. When these villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients as effectively, whic

All chronic illness, and most acute illness, have to do with maldigestion. Maldigestion may not always be obvious, but it can cause fermentation and putrefaction reactions in the intestines, which result in gas and bloating. These reactions produce toxins and irritants that are absorbed through the intestines and into the bloodstream. The blood is then carrying a high amount of metabolic toxins and irritants to other areas of the body. This is the cause of chronic inflammatio

I know this isn't the most glamorous topic, but it's an important one and more prevalent that you might think. Candida albicans is fungus that is part of normal flora. That means some Candida is suppose to be in the body, genitals, GI tract, and skin. The problem is when there is too much, yeast overgrowth occurs, which leads to pesky symptoms. Since Candida is part of normal flora, overgrowth symptoms can occur in many places. It may manifest as an itchy rash, diarrhea, flat

I hate feeling bloated. It's one of those sensations that just puts me in a bad mood, and I have a feeling I'm not alone in that. Bloating is a common symptom in the GI tract and is caused by one thing... Gas. So let's put on our naturopathic brain and get to the root cause; what causes the gas? Gas typically forms in the colon AKA the large intestine where lots of bacteria live. These bacteria ferment carbohydrates that aren't digested in the small intestine. This is normal

"All disease begins in the the gut", said Hippocrates. One might infer that health must begin in the gut as well. When problems occur in the gut, they can manifest in other areas of the body in a variety of ways. Immune: Did you know that 70% of your immune system is in the gut? The immune system both in and out of the gut are interrelated and protect the body from harmful microorganisms and toxins. Apart from our skin, the GI tract is one of the main barriers against illness

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder. It acts as a catch-all diagnosis for symptoms of abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation. IBS is defined by having abdominal pain or discomfort at least 1 day per week for the past 3 months. Symptoms improve after having a bowel movement and are often associated with a change in stool frequency or appearance. Looking at this list of symptoms, its no wonder that

All chronic illness, and most acute illness, have to do with maldigestion. Maldigestion may not always be obvious, but it can cause fermentation and putrefaction reactions in the intestines, which result in gas and bloating. These reactions produce toxins and irritants that are absorbed through the intestines and into the bloodstream. The blood is then carrying a high amount of metabolic toxins and irritants to other areas of the body. This is the cause of chronic inflammatio

"How was your vacation?" "Oh it was lovely! The beaches were pristine. The sun felt amazing. The only bad thing was that I got sick..." Traveler's diarrhea affects over 25,000 travelers per day. That's 10 million people per year! Traveler's diarrhea, AKA acute gastroenteritis, occurs from eating or drinking contaminated food or water. It most commonly occurs from eating raw fruits and vegetables or drinking tap water, and the most common bacterial culprits are E.coli, Shigell

The gut-brain connection is all about nourishing the microbiome to keep the GI tract happy and the mind at ease. The GI tract is made up of 100 million nerve cells, which is why it affectionately earns the title of "the 2nd brain". This is evidenced by the familiar feelings of "an anxious belly", "a gut feeling", "butterflies in the stomach". The mind is powerful and so is the gut! Here are 4 ways to nourish both: Set the stage -- in an earlier blog post, I talked about the

Eat too much during the holidays? Me too. Here are a few yoga poses to get the digestive system moving and relieve some discomfort from fullness. Trikonasana (Triangle pose) -- bring feet twice as wide as the shoulders, point toes of one foot away, bring one hand on to the shin or a block, raise other hand high, keep both legs straight, gaze up or down. This pose improves digestion and stimulates appetite. Paschimottanasana (Forward bending pose) -- keep both legs straight, f

Growing up, we always said a prayer of thanks before each meal. Little did I know that this habit helps the nervous system be in a better state for digestion. Our nervous system has 2 primary aspects that are crucial to understand: The Parasympathetic State, also known as “rest and digest” and The Sympathetic State, also known as “fight or flight” When in a sympathetic state, the body is in a stress response, and blood is sent to the extremities so we can fight or flee. Blood

Get rid of post-meal bloating once and for all! Today's blog post is all about digestive tonics -- substances that stimulate and soothe the GI tract. One of the most common tonics I turn to in my practice is bitters...yes, the exact kind you put in your cocktails! The original use of bitters is traced back to ancient Egypt and further developed in the Middle Ages. Medicinal herbs were infused in jars of wine or distilled alcohol and were placed on shelves in later-day pharmac

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder, likely because it acts as a catch-all diagnosis. Symptoms of IBS can include abdominal pain, cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, or both. IBS is defined by having abdominal pain or discomfort at least 1 day per week for the past 3 months. Symptoms improve after having a bowel movement and are often associated with a change in stool frequency or appearance. There are many poss